Truth Versus Fiction The Myth of Easy Money for College. Take a Vacation Around the World! The "Job Training" Myth Women in the Military Dude, Where's my Rights? The Government Doesn't Give a Shit about You There's no Promise Like a Government Promise You're Not Out Until They Say You're Out
What the Military Doesn't Tell You
You’ve probably heard the hype, $ 70,000 for college through the Army GI bill! Get your education paid for, etc. The truth is, the amounts aren’t what they’re made out to be, you probably won’t get any money, and if you do it won’t be free money because you’ll have worked your butt off for it. Let’s break down the military’s exaggerations. Because of all the fine print requirements to receive college benefits, only 35% of enlistees receive any GI bill funds for college — only 15% of enlistees ever receive a college degree. The average participant actually receives less money than a student who simply receives a Pell Grant and a Stafford Loan. If you’re part of the 25% of enlistees who get dishonorably discharged you get… nothing. If you’re part of the 33% who leave the military early you get… nothing. If you later decide not to go to college you get... nothing. Oh yeah, you also have to pay a $1,200 non-refundable deposit during your first year of service to even be eligible for the program, and that’s money you won’t get back if you end up... getting nothing.
Join the Army, travel to exciting places, meet new and different people - and kill them. The army says that you will get to travel the world. Growing up in Pittsburgh can make that a big draw. For every kid who’s a lifelong yinzer there’s another who understandably wants to see a bit more of the world. Enlistment in the guard, reserves, or army certainly means you won’t stay here for long, but are you sure that’s a good thing? Iraq is a place with a lot of interesting people and places, but you won’t be going there to sightsee. Maybe it’ll be a cakewalk, but it could just as easily be you riding around wearing heavy armor during 110 degree summers waiting to get shot at while local kids throw rocks and insults at you.
The military likes to claim that you will be getting fun work in technology fields for the jobs of tomorrow. Recruiters promise you training that will lead to better jobs in civilian life. Which sounds great, right? You get paid while someone else trains you. Except that veterans typically earn 12% to 15% less than those workers who do not go into the military. Military training is designed for military jobs and most of the skills you do learn are particular to your military job. Only 12% of male veterans and 6% of female veterans report making any use of skills they learned in the military in subsequent civilian jobs. To make it even worse, even if you do get trained in the field you requested the military doesn’t have to use you in that field. You might sign up to fly planes and end up being a mail clerk. Dick Cheney said it best, The military is not a social welfare agency; it’s not a jobs program.
A recent survey found that 30% of women reported being victims of rape or attempted rape while in the military. 75% reported being sexually harassed. Furthermore, survivors usually have little recourse when such crimes do occur. The machismo culture and closed environment of military life combined with threats and pressure from above makes it difficult to break the wall of silence.
Military life is very hard on families; family abuse and violence are three to five times higher than in the civilian population. The hazards of military service include more than just getting killed or wounded. Less than 300 U.S. soldiers were killed in the first Gulf War of 1991. But tens of thousands of Gulf War vets have reported chronic, debilitating physical and psychological disorders since serving in the Gulf. As of February 2006, 73,000, or more than 35% of Iraq War Veterans have sought mental health services, likely a gross underestimate as to the number who actually are suffering since the macho culture of militarism trains soldiers to deny suffering as a sign of weakness. Veterans comprise 1/3 of the adult homeless population in this country. If you’re curious why, try asking a recruiter that question the next time they tell you enlisting is the right move for your future.
The fine print on the back of the enlistment contract makes it clear that no promise made by the government has to be kept. Military Enlistment/Reenlistment contract states: The following statements [in the contract] are not promises or guarantees of any kind. Indeed, in 1995 the government stopped providing free healthcare for 20-year military retirees. This broke a promise made by recruiters (and in military brochures and advertisements) to generations of recruits. When veterans sued to force the government to fulfill its promise Bush’s lawyers argued that it wasn’t a legally binding promise because it had only been made by recruiters....
Despite the stated length of enlistment, usually 4 years, recruits can be kept in the military indefinitely, or called back from the reserves many years later as we’re seeing now with the current back door draft (a.k.a. “Stop loss.”) Even those who've been severely physically and mentally injured are being called back.